01:41Russia: EMERCOM flies in 'election aid' to flood-hit Primorsky as elections loom
In flood hit areas of Russia’s Primorsky Territory, the Emergencies Ministry (EMERCOM) were deployed to ensure that people cut-off by flooding, Thursday, could vote in Sunday’s parliamentary elections.
One local official named Sergei Basok explained that the area was having elections on September 18, “but we have early voting on September 16 in those districts that appeared to be cut-off from the outside world.”
Another official, Albert Ynusov, detailed that “ballots are being kept at a voting station in a safe. Every voting station is being guarded by police representatives,” he continued: “Today we have two policemen arriving in this electoral district with us, to guard law and order and electoral documentation.”
Soon those deliveries will be followed up by aircraft taking sealed ballot boxes to regional centres for the votes counting.
The first electoral “aid” was conducted by EMERCOM on September 12 when Mi-8 helicopters brought ballots, ballot boxes and other equipment to remote and flooded settlements in Primorsky. In total, there have been about 400 rescue flights since the floods began at the beginning of September, evacuating more than 2,000 people to safety.
In remote areas of Russia it has become increasingly common for votes to be submitted early to achieve a swifter official count and result.
01:41In flood hit areas of Russia’s Primorsky Territory, the Emergencies Ministry (EMERCOM) were deployed to ensure that people cut-off by flooding, Thursday, could vote in Sunday’s parliamentary elections.
One local official named Sergei Basok explained that the area was having elections on September 18, “but we have early voting on September 16 in those districts that appeared to be cut-off from the outside world.”
Another official, Albert Ynusov, detailed that “ballots are being kept at a voting station in a safe. Every voting station is being guarded by police representatives,” he continued: “Today we have two policemen arriving in this electoral district with us, to guard law and order and electoral documentation.”
Soon those deliveries will be followed up by aircraft taking sealed ballot boxes to regional centres for the votes counting.
The first electoral “aid” was conducted by EMERCOM on September 12 when Mi-8 helicopters brought ballots, ballot boxes and other equipment to remote and flooded settlements in Primorsky. In total, there have been about 400 rescue flights since the floods began at the beginning of September, evacuating more than 2,000 people to safety.
In remote areas of Russia it has become increasingly common for votes to be submitted early to achieve a swifter official count and result.